Apparatus for the treatment of naturally-occurring hydrocarboncontaining materials



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,453,037

6. P. BOWIE ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF NATURALLY OCCURRINGHYDROCARBON CONTAINING MATERIALS Filed June 1, 1922 //w/v 70/75 06512.4f. em,

Patented Apr. 2%, 123.

I rattan oiro STATES PATENT orrice.

CLIFFORD P. BOWIE, Of BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, AND MARTIN J. GAVIN, OF

- BOULDER, COLORADO.

APPARATUS non THE TREATMENT or NATURALLY-OCCURRING HYDROGARBON-con'rnmme MATERIALS.

0riginal application filed Rovember 17, i919, Serial No. 338,637.Divided and this application fil ed June 1, 1922. Serial No. 565,180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLIFFORD P. Bowrn and MARTIN J. GAVIN, citizens ofthe United States, residing, the said Bowie at Berkeley, in the countyof Alameda and State of California, and the said GAVIN at Boulder,county of Boulder, State of Colorado, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment ofNaturally-Occurring Hydrocarbon-Containing Materials, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This application is a division of our pending application, Serial Number338637 filed November .17, 1919, for a patent for treatment of naturallyoccurring hydrocarbon containing materials.

Our invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of hydrocarboncontaining material, and is especially adapted for carrying out theprocess described in the application, above identified, of which, asstated, this application is a division.

Our invention consists in the novel apparatus which we shall hereinafterfully describe, it being understood that various changes in the detailsof construction and arrangement may be made without departing from theprinciples of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Referringto the accompanying drawlugs- Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section,of our apparatus.

Fig. 2 1s a plan, partly broken of the same.

5 is a shell or retort, preferably conical, to the bottom of which aresecured a plurality of outwardly projecting lugs 24, by means of which,through the bolts 20, the base of the retort is vertically spaced froman. underlying hearth plate 8, thereby leaving an annular peripheralopening between the retort and hearth plate, as seenin Fig. 1. Washers27 around the bolts 20, serve to regulate the Width of this opening.

Mounted in the axis of the retort 5 is a shaft 10, the foot of which isstepped at 23 in the hearth plate 8. The upper end of the shaftprotrudes from the apex of the retort in a stufling box 21, and carriesabevelgear 11, meshing with a bevel gear 12 by which rotation is impartedto the shaft 10.

Radial arms 26 are carried by the lower portion of the shaft 10, saidarms having rabbles or scrapers 22 which operate over. the hearth plate8. At the ends of the arms are discharge blades or gophers 9 in registrywith the annular discharge opening between the base of the retort andthe hearth plate.

' Secured to the periphery of the hearth plate by the screws 25, F ig.1, is an annular plate 19, which rises above the level of the dischargeopening between the retort and hearth plate and is spaced from andsurrounds the base of the retort, forming a sealin chamber, as Willpresently be described. nderlying the hearth plate is a suitable heatingelement, here indicated as furnace flues 28, so disposed, as shown inFig. 1, with relation to the hearth plate that by means of theconnecting fiues 29 and escape flue 30, which leads to a stack, notshown, said hearth is heated in zones or regions. of graduallyincreasing temperature from center to periphery, that is to say, thetemperature imparted to the hearth is least at its middle portion andgreatest at its outer portion.

1 is a hopper for the divided-solid material which forms one of theingredients of the mixture to be treated in the special process forwhich the apparatus is adapted.

The contents of the hopper 1 are fed through a pipe 3 by means of ascrew eonveyer 2, Fig. 2, driven from a sprocket 4, into the upperportion of the retort 5. 6 is a pipe having a distributor 7 fordelivering the hydrocarbon ingredient of the mixture to the retort 5.

16, 17 and 18 are vapor lines leading from the retort at difierentelevations. Troughs 13, 14. and 15 are secured to the inner wall of theretort and slope towards the vapor ofi'takes to convey any liquidcondensations fromthe retort wall to the respective 011:- takes.

Before describing the operation of the apparatus we deem it best tobriefly state the nature and objects of the process for which theapparatus is especially designed.

Many hydrocarbon containing materials are so viscous that it isimpracticable to transport them by ordinary ava1lable means. Butif theirfluidity be increased, they may be so transported to an advantage. Thisresult may be gained by subjecting such materials to destructivedistillation in the presence of a non-reactive material. The

volatile portions of the material may be collected and condensed andthus put in shape for easy handling, while the non-volatile residuumwill, due to the n0n-react1ve mgredient of the mixture undergoingtreatment, be reduced to a dry, friable and noncaking consistency,rendering it easy to dis charge, without coking the apparatus.

The operation of the apparatus 15 as follows, assuming for the sake ofexample its use in connection with a mixture comprising a finelydivided, non-reactive material say, for example, ordinary clay shale ordiatomaceous earth and a petroleum compound. The non-reactive materialis supplied to the retort from the hopper 1 and falls upon the heatedplate 8 at or near its central portion. The oil is supplied to theretort through pipe .6 and distributor 7 and falling upon the plate 8 ismixed with the non-reactive material by the action of the revolvingrabbles 22. Under the influence of the heat, the oil is destructivelydistilled and the volatile products, together with any water present,pass quietly ofi' through the vapor offtakes 16, 17 and 18. As thenon-volatile residue 1s moved outwardly towards the periphery of thehearth plate 8, it continually reaches zones or regions of increasingtemperature, in which destructive distillation is completed, and theoperation is so regulated that by the time the non-volatile residuereaches the edge of the hearth plate it has assumed a dry, friable andnon-caking consistency. This dry friable, non-caking residue isdischarged by the' gophers 9, through the annular opening at the base ofthe retort and is forced out into the sealing chamber formed by theplate 19, and over said plate to its discharge. This residue while inthe chamber of plate 19 forms an eh'icient seal against the escape ofgas from the retort, other than through the vapor otftakes.

We claim l. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a retortto which the mate rial to be treated is supplied; an underlying heatinghearth for receiving the material, said hearth being spaced from thebase of the retort to leave a peripheral opening; means within theretort, operating over the hearth for moving the material to saidopening; oft'takes in the wall of the retort above.

sa d opening for the vaporous material; and

retains? a sealed discharge associated with said opening for theresidual material, consisting of a plate exterior to, spaced from, andrising above the level of the opening.

2. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a retort to whichthe material to be treated is supplied; an underlying heating hearth forreceiving the material, said hearth being spaced from the base of theretort to leave a peripheral opening; means within the retort, operatingover the hearth for moving the material to said opening; offtakes in theWall of the retort above said opening for the vaporous material; asealed discharge associated with said opening for the residual material;and troughs fitted to the inner wall of the retort to lead thecondensation on said wall to the vapor ofl'takes.

An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a retort to which thematerial is supplied; an underlying heating hearth for receiving thematerial, said hearth being spaced from the base of the retort to leavea peripheral opening; revoluble rabbles within the retort, operatingover the hearth, to mix the material and move it to said opening;otftakes in the wall of the retort above said opening for the vaporousmaterial; and a sealed discharge associated with said opening for theresidual material.

4. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a retort to whichthe mate rial is supplied; an underlying heating hearth for receivingthe material, said hearth being spaced from the base of the retort toleave a peripheral opening; revoluble rabbles within the retort,operating over the hearth, to mix the material and move it to saidopening; revolving scrapers to force the residual material through saidopening; ofi'takes in the wall of the retort above said opening for thevaporous material; and a sealed discharge associated with said openingfor the residual material.

5. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a retort; meansfor supplying thereto the material to be treated in the region about itsaxis; an underlying hearth, upon the central region of which thematerial falls, said hearth being spaced from the base of the retort toleave a peripheral opening; means for heating said hearth to atemperature increasing from the central region thereof outwardly; meanswithin the retort operating over the hearth to move the materialoutwardly to and through the peripheral opening; ofltakes in the wall ofthe retort above said opening for the vaporous material; and a sealeddischarge associated with said opening for the residual material.

6. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a retort; meansfor supplying thereto the material to be treated in the region about itsaxis; an underlying hearth upon the central region of which themateessee? rial falls, said hearth being spaced from the base of theretort to leave a peripheral opening; means for heating said hearth to atemperature increasing from the central region thereof outwardly;'meansWithin the retort operating over the hearth to move the materialoutwardly to and through the peripheral opening; ofitakes in the Wall ofthe retort above said opening for the veporous material; a sealeddischarge associated with said 10 openin for the residual material; andtroughs fitted to the inner Wall of the retort, to lead thecondensations on said wall to the vapor ofi'takes.

In testimony whereof we have signed our 15 names to this specification.

- CLIFFORD P. BOWKE.

MARTIN J. GAVIN.

